Editor's Note: This article was generated by machine translation, so our staff cautions the reader about possible inaccuracies that may have resulted from this. However, it was deemed worthwhile to still publish such a piece because of the intrinsic value of the message - which remains evident even in its translated form.
The second day in Rostov allowed to get acquainted with the Bogoyavlensky Avraamiev Monastery, as well as some other sights, to which tourists who come to Rostov for half a day do not have time to reach.
Moskovsky trakt Restaurant
The restaurant is located in the round rotunda of the hotel of the same name on the third floor. The spacious hall is designed for a large number of visitors. For me, a hotel guest, there was only one breakfast here. I was the first visitor at 8 a.m. sharp, so I was a little confused by the fact that there were no serving tables with food, but only cups and saucers for coffee. I got the waitress's attention and she explained to me to sit down and wait for her to bring something. Oatmeal with two sausage and cheese sandwiches and a cup of coffee seemed to cover breakfast completely, but I was wrong. The waitress also brought a second course! But it was another porridge, really buckwheat, but with sausage. Amazing combination of two dishes! I wanted at least a glass of juice, but apparently it wasn't supposed to be! But they served a bun. Another surprise was that for single guests in a double room they are entitled to two breakfasts. The second breakfast was left untouched...
I had the whole morning until noon at my disposal. And I headed out for my third walk down Okruzhnaya Street to Proletarskaya Street.
The Monastery of the Epiphany & of Abraham
Rostov's oldest monastery is located on the shore of Lake Nero about three kilometers northeast of the Rostov Kremlin. It is believed to have been founded in the middle of the 13th century by hermit Abraham. According to legend, he smashed the pagan idol of the god Veles with a rod, received from John the Theologian, erected the first temple there and founded a monastery. Later in the 17th century, the Epiphany Cathedral was built here to commemorate the capture of Kazan. According to legend, Ivan the Terrible visited the monastery before the campaign and took the same rod with him. In the middle of XVII century under Archimandrite Jonah the stone Presentation and the "over-the-gates" St. Nicholas churches were erected.
Epiphany cathedral
The main cathedral of the oldest in Rostov the Great Monastery of the Epiphany Abraham Monastery was built in the middle of the 16th century in honor of the capture of Kazan. In this sense, it is a collection of St. Basil's Cathedral. Its reconstruction and restoration is ongoing.
Church of St. Nicholas
This "over-the-gates" church of the Theophany, in the Abrahamic monastery, was erected at the end of the 17th century. It was desecrated and half-destroyed during the Soviet era. Now, fortunately, it has been restored, and its whiteness shines.
Presentation church
This church in Abrahami Monastery of the Epiphany was built in the middle of the 17th century by Archimandrite Iona simultaneously with the construction of the Metropolitan's Courtyard in the Rostov Kremlin. Now the church has been put in order after the desolation of Soviet times.
On the way to the monastery and back I came across the following sights.
Fire tower
It's a pity the bell tower of the Church of the Exaltation of the Cross is clearly not being used for its intended purpose. Only a wooden cross near the bell tower is a reminder of the ruined church.
Church of the Smolensk icon of Mother of God
It is also the Church of Cosmas and Damian. I saw it on the way to the monastery along Proletarskaya Street. I had to turn into Perovsky Lane. The entrance to the church was closed due to repairs.
Church of Cosmas and Damian
A small single-domed church with a bell tower in Perovsky Lane was built at the end of the 18th on the site of the Kosmodamian Monastery that once existed there. During Soviet times there were barracks, pioneer club, and apartments. Renovations are continuing. Now the territory of the church is fenced with a decent fence...
Theater of Rostov the Great
The theater building with the colonnade is used for concerts, festivals and shows. It is rather a leisure center, as I understand it, has no theatrical troupe.
The building of the former administration of the Rolm factory
Historical two-storeyed mansion of the end of XIX century, which belonged to the factory, and therefore to its owner, Rostov entrepreneur Alexey Kekin, is certainly a landmark of the northern part of Rostov. Few such houses survived in the city, and this house is one more proof of the considerable services of Kekin, who not only founded the Rolma factory, and gave work to several hundreds of Rostov citizens, but also built a gymnasium building, which could well be used as a university, and also financed the restoration and maintenance of the Rostov Kremlin.
Rolm's factory
Rostov linen manufactory Rolma factory for the production of linen fabrics was founded by Rostov businessman Alexei Kekin at the end of XIX century. The huge three-story brick building is located on Zhelyabov Street next to the Monastery of the Epiphany of Abraham. I was amazed at the size and degree of desolation of this building as I passed it in the direction of the monastery. It had existed for about a century until it went bankrupt at the end of the 1990s due to the decline in demand for linen products. Only in the last five years there is life there again, a shopping center, food court and cinema has opened, the southern wing of the building has been restored, but still it is only a small part of the grand building, a masterpiece of industrial architecture of the XIX century. The building is included in the list of cultural heritage of Russia.
A.L. Kekin school
Saint-Petersburg merchant Alexey Leontievich Kekin bequeathed his capital to Rostov Veliky after the death of his only son at the end of the 19th century, under the condition of building a men's gymnasium, and later - a university. That is why we now see the wish fulfilled in the form of a magnificent building, of which Russian capitals would be proud. It's amazing to see it in a small provincial town! Several times the gymnasium building was used as a hospital. During the Soviet times, the school-gymnasium was used very actively, it worked in two shifts, in the 50-s it graduated seven 10th grades!
Proletarskaya street
Returning from the monastery, I took a closer look at the buildings on this street, which seemed to me interesting, I captured in the photo.
Here occurred a curious episode. Looking into the courtyard of a brick two-story building, I saw a wooden shed, the roof of which is overgrown with moss, looking very imposing. I remember barns like that from my childhood. One summer I even lived in such a shed at my grandmother's house, so as not to cram her in her room. Since I had my finger on the trigger of the camera, I quickly clicked the shutter and captured the barn in a photo.
But this operation of mine was seen by a middle-aged woman from the second floor, who was not lazy to remove the mosquito netting from the open window and scold me for this outrageous action from her point of view! She, of course, mistook me for a reporter, and saw the threat from my picture. So I heard her cursing at me, at the local authorities, etc. The point of her tirade was that liberals in power were to blame, and that everything was fine under the Communists. At first I was taken aback! So I listened to her to the end. Then I asked her to calm down and asked how long she had been living here? My question was right on the money! She was not from around here, she came from Central Asia (but looked Slavic), and had been living here for several years. Where did she get her hatred for the authorities? It was as if she had been living here all her life, using an old barn built under Soviet rule, and the new authorities haven't been able to repair it for thirty years...
Near the church, next to which I saw a garbage dump and a woman rummaging through it, another episode took place. When she saw me with a camera (which meant, in her opinion, a wealthy person) she took her eyes off her work and asked me to give her something to eat. I asked her again how long she had been living here. It turned out that she came from Armenia (an Armenian). In her excuse, she made an interesting thesis that she would go to the forest to pick mushrooms, but she cannot do that, as there are no mushroom forests in Armenia, so she would have to dig in the dump...
This is how you learn life during a walk through the cities of the Russian countryside!
City Garden
This garden is probably the only place where the embankment of Lake Nero is arranged, and by that it attracts both residents and visitors. Otherwise, the garden resembles similar parks and gardens in other Russian cities. Veranda for public events, playgrounds, installation with storks, a memorial sign "I love Rostov Veliky" and a frame "Window to Nero", at which you can take pictures. Across the bridge you can go to Podozerka and to the Rostov Kremlin.
Stag sculpture
The stag is a heraldic symbol of Rostov Veliky, so you can see it both on flags hung around the city and in the form of sculptures in the street and in the city park.
Window to Nero
In the city park on the shore of Lake Nero you can see and use for a spectacular photo a special frame, called a window in Nero.
I love Rostov Veliky
Since I also love Rostov Veliky, selfies are quite appropriate!
At this time the clouds parted, the sun looked out, and I went back to the Kremlin to take pictures in the favorable sunlight. At some point, I was disappointed that the sunny weather did not arrive until the second day of my visit to Rostov. The idea was to repeat all of my photography and videography from yesterday, taken in gloomy weather and, in part, in the rain. But I didn't have time to re-shoot! However, it soon got dark again, the sun shone for only half an hour, and I calmed down. Nevertheless, I managed to make some re-shots of the Kremlin.
Laying stone of the monument to prince Vasilko
One of the most respected Rostov princes - Prince Vasilko heroically died in a battle on the river Sit. It is believed that he is buried on the place where now stands the Assumption Cathedral. It is supposed to erect a monument to him. The laying stone for the monument is in a park at the northern wall of the Rostov Kremlin.
Stable yard
It is believed that this stable yard is the only survived in Russia at the end of the XVIIth century. Up to six hundred horses were in charge of this yard on the road to Yaroslavl and on to Arkhangelsk. It has recently been restored, and the buildings are shining white. The Museum of the road is preparing to open.
Guests' yard
The whole block of trading stalls next to the Rostov Kremlin was built in the end of the XVIII century, many times it was renewed and extended with trading stalls, which surrounded the Kremlin from the Sobornaya Square. As a result, in the middle of the XIX century trading rows acquired a colonnade and became similar to the Guests' yard. In the center of the courtyard is the magnificent Church of the Savior on the Torg.
It was time to check out of the hotel and head for the bus station. I went on foot again to see another church.
Church of St. Nicholas on Vspolye
The church is on the Posad part of Rostov. I found it on the way to the train station, away from the trampled paths of tourists, as it is indicated on the map. It was erected in the beginning of XIX century on the place where in ancient times was considered Sretensky monastery.
This is how the route of my third walk around Rostov the Great looked like on the map. It turned out to be 10 kilometers.
Source: tourister.ru (Russian)